My 2am Wake-Up Call: How I found my purpose ... and why I am starting the Purpose Connect Forum

I remember the exact night (or morning, actually) that I first learned about Second 50. It was 2:00am, and I was having one of those familiar menopausal wakeups. I decided to come downstairs and make a cup of tea and I recalled something Carolyn Betts had posted in our school WhatsApp group about a new community she was creating. Immediately, it looked like a thoughtful mix of topics and women I could relate to.

At the time (mid-2024), I was still deeply engaged in full-time corporate work, but I had a growing desire to contribute more purposefully to the world beyond my career. I was trying to figure out what mattered most to me, and where I might focus my energy next.

A friend and I had previously talked about an idea we called "100 Women". We imagined gathering the collective wisdom and expertise of 10 friends and focusing it on a specific not-for-profit need and giving of our time and energy. And then, we wondered what would happen if those ten women invited their own ten women, and we became one hundred women? The impact we could have!

When I found Second 50, I realised that the foundation for this idea was already taking shape.

From Participation to Purpose

For many years, I had been involved in volunteering — the Vinnies soup van, volunteering in Vietnam, and through work volunteering programs where we had an opportunity to participate or donate. But now, I knew I wanted to do more than just participate, and I was helped in that realisation by so many wonderful Second 50 women, programs and conversations.

As I looked at what was happening in the world (both locally and globally) I felt a pull to move beyond simply thinking about positive change to creating it. I wanted to take initiative, to have agency, and to begin something meaningful myself.

My first big step was the realisation that I didn't need to leave my full-time job to start. If I made the time (including re-jigging my weekends and holiday priorities a bit), I had the capacity to contribute more alongside working full time.

That insight led me to exploring options and finding the not-for-profit, Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia (CRSA). This national organisation supports groups of everyday Australians to welcome, support and settle refugee newcomers to Australia. With the support of CRSA, and together with my friend Kate, last year I brought together seven women to form the "Melbourne Welcomers" and support a Kurdish refugee family as they settled into Melbourne. It has been a wonderful, and life-changing experience.

A big surprise has been how my friends and family members were so willing to jump on board, give their time, donate, and offer practical support. I think many people are looking for exactly that kind of meaningful involvement — they often just don't know how to find it.

I then did the transformative Second 50 Life Design program with coach and author, Gill McLaren, which was where I really connected the dots between my values and strengths, and worked out how this could lead to more purpose in my life.

In my 2026 Life Design plan, I had mapped out that I would continue to support our refugee family in a hands-on way, but I also wanted to do something else. I wanted to create more impact and invest more of myself, than just supporting our very special Kurdish family.

My Purpose-led Next Chapter

At the end of 2025, I stepped away from my decades-long corporate career. I currently spend two days a week working pro bono in a strategic, project role with CRSA, and I'm loving it. The work is stimulating, meaningful, and energising, allowing me to use decades of professional experience where it is genuinely needed and valued.

My own journey and contribution to CRSA prompted me to think: Second 50 is the perfect ecosystem to be able to build out a little bit more impact beyond what I have been able to achieve for myself.

Introducing the Purpose Connect Forum

And that is how I came to step up and develop this idea of creating a Purpose Connect Forum within Second 50. This is a new space and quarterly forum within our ecosystem where purpose, experience and positive action come together. The goal is to facilitate meaningful connection, learning and opportunities for women within Second 50 who are seeking more purposeful contribution in their lives.

Some Second 50 women are already deeply involved in causes they care about and are looking for skilled support, collaboration, or fresh ideas. Others may simply be feeling the pull toward something more meaningful but are not yet sure what that looks like.

Importantly, Purpose Connect is not just about giving. It is also about gaining connection, learning, growth, renewed energy, and the satisfaction that comes from contributing where your values and abilities align.

If you feel curious about how your experience, skills, or passions could create impact, or you are involved in an organisation you would like to connect and amplify with women who care, I’d love to connect with you inside Second 50.

⚡ S50 Note

A little bit more about Amanda

Amanda is a Melbourne-based Second 50 member who has turned her Second 50 connection, reflection and learning into positive action. When Amanda joined Second 50 in 2024, she was considering how to bring more purpose into her next chapter. Members can see her journey on many Sage Advice Live on-demand recordings and involvement in other activities. She is a role model of someone who has journeyed from joining in, to making positive change for herself, and now for others.

About CRSA

Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia — is a community-based resettlement program in Australia which enables groups of five or more people to welcome and support a UNHCR-identified refugee household from the moment they arrive, helping them navigate housing, education, community connection and more. Originally piloted in 2022 (based on a long-running Canadian model), the organisation now has bipartisan political support and has become a permanent part of Australia's humanitarian migration program.